Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson today provided some Precinct 6/Towson crime data for the third quarter of 2013, the most recent period for which data has been vetted under the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting System.

The information -- prepared by BCoPD's Crime Analysis Unit -- shows data for the entire, 16-square-mile precinct, which extends from the Baltimore City line north to I-695, east to Perring Parkway and west to Falls Road.

This data includes the number of cases of robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and theft from January through September 2013 (we have also included the data for these crime categories for the first six-month period of 2013). BCoPD has compared this data to the previous five-year average for the same time periods, a comparison that allows a more accurate long-term view of statistical information.

Though the first nine months of 2013, there were seven more robberies throughout the entire precinct than the previous five-year average for the same time period.

Last summer, Chief Johnson discussed efforts to enhance the law enforcement presence in the Towson precinct -- unique because of its growing student population, large numbers of shopping districts, hospitals and parking lots. Those efforts continue as the precinct employs a variety of crime-fighting strategies including targeted deployments of officers, including specialized units; and technological resources including tag readers and mall cameras. Johnson said he anticipates additional enhancements in the coming year.

"Towson is the most densely populated precinct in the county," Johnson said,"and different from our other precincts because of its role as the County Seat and as a hub of education, commerce and entertainment. Thousands of people work in Towson, go to school here, shop here. Working with our community and business partners, we will continue to identify and address crime trends in this precinct."

Chief Johnson also noted that case clearances in the Towson precinct are among the highest in the county.

Towson Precinct Captain Richard Howard said, "My officers have worked extremely hard over the past few months clearing many of the cases that have made headlines in recent months. We will continue to work in partnership with our communities and to educate people about how to prevent crimes such as theft and burglary."